2018 Rinnai 250
|First_Team=Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing|First_Driver=Kevin Harvick|Distance_laps=163|Distance_km=403|Description=Race 2 of 33 in the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season|Course_mi=1.54|Course_km=2.48|Car=98}}The 2018 Rinnai 250 was a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held on February 24, 2018, at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Contested over 163 laps on the 1.54-mile-long (2.48 km) asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway, it was the second race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series. Entry List Practice First practice Christopher Bell was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 31.068 seconds and a speed of 178.447 mph. Final practice John Hunter Nemechek was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 31.056 seconds and a speed of 178.516 mph. Qualifying Christopher Bell scored the pole for the race with a time of 30.600 seconds and a speed of 181.176 mph. Qualifying results Race Partly cloudy skies and temperatures near 80 degrees greeted the Xfinity Series drivers as they hit the track first. The Rinnai 250 took the green flag shortly after 2:00 pm. Pole sitter Christopher Bell(20) yielded the top spot to Cup regular Joey Logano(22) on the first lap. Only to regain the lead five laps later. Three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers joined the Xfinity regulars for today’s race. Besides Logano, Kevin Harvick(98) and Ty Dillon(3) entered. Stage 1 Harvick started in the fifth position. By lap 20 he worked his way to the lead and held it until the caution waved 4 laps from the end of Stage 1. Harvick pitted while Logano chose to stay out and wait for the stage ending caution to make his stop. Should they race tomorrow, everyone should take a lesson from Harvick’s decision. Tires are everything at Atlanta. The race restarted with one lap to go to the green and white checkered flag signifying the stage end. Harvick started 10th, the nine cars in front of him restarted on old tires. In one lap around the mile and a half Speedway, Harvick drove to the front to win the Stage. Logano, the leader at the restart, finished fourth. Three more driver’s with fresh tires passed him on the final lap. Stage 2 Harvick led every lap of the uneventful 40-lap Second Stage. Profiting from the fastest stops on pit road he exited the pit lane after the stage ending caution stop still holding the top spot. The 83 lap final segment of the race requires a pit stop at some point. It may be the only opportunity for anyone to take a shot at Harvick. Green flag stops for the leaders began with 38 laps to go. Harvick pitted three laps later, making sure no one outdistanced his car to end on fresher tires. He resumed the lead as all the lead lap cars cycled through pit road. The Finish Harvick easily pulled away over the final segment of the race. Lapping all but six of the 40 cars that started the race. Logano finished second, four seconds back. Bell took third, six seconds behind. The remainder of the lead cars, John H. Nemechek(42) fourth, veteran Elliott Sadler(1) fifth, and Justin Allgaier(7) sixth. Austin Cindric(12) in seventh, the final car on the lead lap. Race results Stage Results Stage One↵''Laps:'' 41 Stage Two↵''Laps:'' 41 Final Stage Results Laps: 81 Category:Xfinity Series races Category:NASCAR races at Atlanta Motor Speedway Category:2018 in NASCAR